Chocolate Almond Apricot Brittle

Cook Time: 30 min
Level: Easy
Yield: 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients

* Vegetable oil, for greasing cookie sheet
* 1/2 cup slivered almonds, toasted
* 1/2 cup chocolate chips
* 1 cup thinly sliced dried apricots
* 3 cups sugar
* 1/2 cup water

Directions

Grease a rimmed baking sheet with vegetable oil. In a small bowl, toss
together the almonds, chocolate chips, and apricots. Put them on the
baking sheet, spreading them out into an even single layer across the
entire baking sheet.

In a medium saucepan stir together the sugar and the water. Cook over
medium-high heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Do not stir after
that. Instead, using a pastry brush dipped in water, brush the sides
of the pan a few times to incorporate any sugar that has stuck to the
sides of the pan. Continue cooking until the sugar syrup turns golden
brown, about 15 to 20 minutes. Carefully pour the caramelized sugar
over the nut mixture on the cookie sheet. Also, be careful not to move
the cookie sheet after the sugar has been poured. The baking sheet
will be very hot in the beginning. Let cool for at least 2 hours.

Break the brittle into pieces and place on a serving dish.

From: foodnetwork.com

Vanilla Gelato Bites with Chocolate and Hazelnuts

Prep Time: 1 hr
Level: Easy
Yield: 16 servings

Ingredients

* 1 pint vanilla gelato or ice cream
* 1 (12-ounce) bag chocolate chips (about 2 cups)
* 1 cup finely chopped toasted hazelnuts (about 5 ounces)

Directions

Special equipment: bite-sized ice cream scoop and wooden popsticks

Place a small tray or a plate in the freezer. Remove the gelato from
the freezer to soften, about 5 minutes. Remove the chilled tray from
the freezer. Scoop out 16 bite-sized balls of gelato and place in the
freezer for at least 1 hour. Remove from the freezer and quickly
insert a wooden popstick into each gelato ball. Return them to the
freezer for at least 1 hour.

When the gelato balls have frozen with their sticks in place, place
the chocolate in a double-boiler over very gently simmering water
until melted. Next to the pot of chocolate, place the toasted, chopped
hazelnuts in a shallow bowl.

Remove the gelato balls from the freezer, 4 at a time. Working
quickly, hold the gelato ball by the stick and dip into the melted
chocolate, then dredge it in the hazelnuts. Return them to the freezer
and continue with 4 more gelato balls, until all the gelato balls are
covered in chocolate and nuts. Freeze the chocolate-and-nut-covered
gelato for at least 1 hour.

These are very fun, festive, and tasty. The ice cream scoop I used is
a number 40 (holds 1 tablespoon, is 1 1/2 inches in diameter.)

From: foodnetwork.com